Individuals who are subject to the Conflict of Interest Act are called public office holders.
They include ministers, ministers of state, parliamentary secretaries, the Chief Electoral Officer, the Parliamentary Budget Officer, ministerial staff, ministerial advisers and most Governor-in-Council appointees, some ministerial appointees and any persons designated to be subject to the Act by the Governor in Council.
The Act's general conflict of interest and post-employment rules apply to all of these officials.
Some of them, referred to simply as public office holders, are subject only to those general rules. This group is mostly made up of part-time members of federal boards, commissions and tribunals, and some part-time ministerial staff.
The rest, referred to as reporting public office holders, are subject not only to the Act's general conflict of interest and post-employment rules, but also its reporting and public disclosure provisions, and its prohibitions against engaging in outside activities and holding controlled assets. This group is mostly made up of full-time officials. Reporting public office holders include ministers and parliamentary secretaries, ministerial staff and Governor-in-Council appointees such as deputy ministers, heads of Crown corporations and members of federal boards.
The Act has some additional rules that apply to ministers and parliamentary secretaries and to ministerial staff.
Ministers and parliamentary secretaries are also subject to the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons.
